VTCC’s final steel beam is raised into place, topping out the 120,000-square-foot pediatric mental health facility.

April 13, 2016

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU marks milestone for Virginia Treatment Center for Children

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By Shira Pollard
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday “topped out” its new Virginia Treatment Center for Children, marking the placement of the facility’s last steel beam.

The new 120,000-square-foot pediatric mental health facility is under construction on the Brook Road Campus of CHoR and is scheduled to open in summer 2017. The new facility’s healing and therapeutic environment will replace a 50-year-old building located on VCU Health’s downtown campus. The new VTCC spans 4.5 acres, is 47 feet tall and contains 880 tons of steel. The facility will include 32 inpatient rooms; 20 outpatient treatment rooms; occupational, recreation, art, music and play therapy; inpatient school programs; a gym and recreational areas; gardens and greenspace; a Children’s Mental Health Resource Center; and the Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Studies, the research arm of VTCC.

Leslie Wyatt, senior vice president of children’s services and executive director of CHoR, welcomes the new VTCC to CHoR’s Brook Road Campus.
Leslie Wyatt, senior vice president of children’s services and executive director of CHoR, welcomes the new VTCC to CHoR’s Brook Road Campus.

Marsha Rappley, M.D., vice president of VCU Health Sciences and CEO of the VCU Health System, said one in five children experiences mental illness, but only 25 percent of those children actually receive the treatment they need. “VTCC is stepping up to help fill that gap,” Rappley said.

VTCC provides services for children and adolescents with mental health issues ranging from depression and ADD/ADHD to anxiety, autism spectrum disorder and behavioral problems at home and school. Last year, VTCC cared for 990 children requiring inpatient care and saw more than 7,000 outpatient visits. The new facility will allow VTCC to develop new programs and services to better meet the needs of Virginia’s families.

“The dream of having a comfortable and serene environment where children and families heal their bodies and minds is finally coming to life,” said Bela Sood, M.D., professor and mental health policy director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. “I can only imagine the enhanced mental health outcomes that will be a direct result of this new facility.”

Joel Silverman, M.D., chair of the VCU Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, said the steel beam is a metaphor for strength, the strength of VTCC’s mental health team and the families it serves.
Joel Silverman, M.D., chair of the VCU Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, said the steel beam is a metaphor for strength, the strength of VTCC’s mental health team and the families it serves.

The project received $56 million in funding from the Virginia General Assembly in 2013. Cannon Design is the architect on the project, with program management from JLL and construction by Balfour Beatty Construction. 

For more information on the facility and for answers to frequently asked questions, visit chrichmond.org/newVTCC.